You probably think that’s a silly question. I mean it in all seriousness, so I guess I need to explain why I ask it. We need only look to a short passage in the Gospel of John for a clue to the answer.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:7-11 (ESV)

The context of this passage is the conversation Jesus had with His disciples after they had supped for the last time and before His betrayal and arrest that were soon to follow. Jesus is preparing the disciples for His departure and comforting them with the promise of the Helper to come, the Holy Spirit. For some, the Holy Spirit would be ‘another comforter’ in Jesus absence (John, Ch 14). For others, the Holy Spirit would be the One who would ‘convict’ of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is to the matter of the conviction concerning sin, that we now turn.

First, who is it that would be convicted? The passage tells us ‘the world’, the kosmos, and that paints a broad picture. We can say with certainty that ‘the world’ must include those in it that have an issue with sin. We can further propose that the sin of which Jesus speaks is the sin of ‘unbelief’ that He spoke of repeatedly in John’s Gospel; that He was indeed the One sent by God to ‘save His people from their sins’. The ‘world’ refers at least to all those remain in unbelief and stand condemned from birth (John 3:18).

What about our question, then? To what does it refer?  Allow me to explain in terms of ‘modern’ evangelistic practices. To a great extent, “today’s church believes it must win the lost to Christ by winning their favor, it no longer teaches the biblical doctrines of sin, hell, repentance, or the cross because those would offend the lost or make them feel uncomfortable,” (John MacArthur). The gospel according to the ‘Beatles’ has replaced the Gospel according to inspired Scripture. “Love, love, love” is the drawing card, instead of confronting sinners with their perilous condition of being DEAD in sin (Eph 2), and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict of sin ‘draw’ sinners to the Cross.

Are people saved if a sinless gospel is preached? I would say yes, but IN SPITE OF a powerless message, NOT because of it!

So, since people ARE saved when a sinless gospel is preached, HAS the Holy Spirit left the building?  “Technically’, NO. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit regenerating and drawing lost souls to Christ, no person would EVER be saved.

I propose that there is something far more serious taking place wherever and whenever a ‘sinless’ gospel is preached,  You see, it takes intentionality to preach the gospel without mentioning sin, the need for repentance, and judgment, unless the preacher/messenger is so ignorant that he/she doesn’t know that SIN is in fact the central issue. There was a time when I would never have dreamed such ignorance exists, but I fear that in today’s evangelical climate, that which was once unimaginable is now common place.

Well, if the Holy Spirit has not left the building (technically), what’s the issue? The issue is simply this:

Although the Holy Spirit is still in the building, regenerating and drawing to the Cross those whom God has mercifully elected for salvation, the Holy Spirit has actually been asked to leave!  Hear me out. Any church, or any person, who would dare claim to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ without addressing the very issues the Holy Spirit came to address – sin, righteousness, and judgment – has in effect pointed to the ‘front door’ and said “Leave the building, we don’t need you!”

What we are left with, no matter how many or how few people attend a particular church, are pews and/or stadium seats filled with a lot of ‘tares’ with a few stalks of ‘wheat’ scattered here and there, hungry for doctrine and ‘hard’ truth they may never be served.

Think about it. . .

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Relevant and scripturally supported comments are encouraged, whether you agree or disagree.